Media contact:
Photos courtesy of:
Heather West, 612-724-8760, heather@heatherwestpr.com
DOE/NREL – Dennis Schroeder, http://www.nrel.gov/news/rsfnews/photos.html
Wausau’s triple-glazed INvent windows support net-zero
energy and LEED Platinum goals for NREL RSF expansion
Wausau, Wis. (September 2012) – Building on a
successful 2010 effort to help the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE) create the “greenest office
building” in the nation, Wausau Window and Wall
Systems returned to contribute to the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) Research
Support Facility (RSF) planned expansion. For
RSF’s expansion, Wausau provided its highest
performing triple-glazed windows and custom
curtainwall, and assisted the design/build team in
improving upon the initial structure’s exceptional
energy performance.
Completed in November 2011, the RSF expansion’s occupants finished moving into their new Class A
offices at the end of February 2012. In all campus development, NREL serves as a “living laboratory”
integrating energy efficiency and renewable energy, high-performance buildings and sustainable
transportation. At NREL’s 327-acre South Table Mountain Campus near Golden, Colo., NREL’s RSF
is designed and built to attain U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Platinum certification.
Unlike typical office buildings, NREL’s RSF is designed to be a carbon-neutral, net-zero energy
building, developed to produce as much power as it consumes. For the RSF expansion, the design/build
team of Haselden Construction and RNL’s Denver area architects were challenged to achieve a 17%
savings in overall energy performance compared with the highly efficient first phase of RSF.
Funding to build the second phase of RSF came through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
as a “shovel-ready” project. Along with ongoing energy savings, upfront financial savings were
emphasized during construction of the 138,000-square-foot RSF expansion. Construction costs for the
RSF expansion were $264/square foot, compared to $335/square foot for the cost of a typical newly
constructed commercial building designed to achieve
LEED certification. Calculated as a whole, the total
construction costs for RSF’s 360,000-square-foot ultrahigh-performance structures were $254/sf with total energy
use of only 34.4 kBtu/sf/yr. Together, RSF supports a
combined building occupancy of more than 1,325 people.
Keeping building occupants comfortable, the four-story
RSF expansion features a 60-foot wide office space that
allows for deep penetration of natural daylight and cross
ventilation – primary drivers in visual and thermal comfort,
as well as in energy conservation. Wausau worked closely with glazing contractor J.R. Butler, Inc., to
incorporate innovative approaches to optimize visible light and views, to provide natural ventilation and
control unwanted heat gain, while managing the abundant natural daylight.
(more)
More than 450 bays were installed on the RSF expansion using Wausau’s triple-glazed 2250i XLT
Series INvent™ fixed and projected windows. In addition to the window bays, Wausau provided J.R.
Butler with 4,600 square feet of custom curtainwall and accessories.
J.R. Butler worked directly with Rocky Mountain Prestress and installed the windows into concrete
exterior wall units. These units were pre-fabricated and assembled in Rocky Mountain Prestress’
factory and then crane-lifted into place on RSF’s job site. “This unitized approach offered tremendous
time savings and cost savings, as well as ensured the proper performance,” explains Wausau’s
Colorado-based representative, Cynthia Workman-Snow.
“In response to increased stringency of Model
Energy Codes, as well as net zero energy buildings
and carbon neutral sustainability goals, many
Wausau products are designed to accept triple
glazing for buildings of the future,” says Wausau’s
government market manager and senior design
engineer, Tom Mifflin, LEED Green Associate.
“More than 25 years of triple-glazed product
development gives us a unique, ‘no problem’
perspective on energy-saving technology.”
Like the first phase of RSF, every workstation in
the expansion has 100% daylighting and no
workstation is more than 30-feet from an operable window. The operable window units can be opened
automatically and manually. “The profile of the RSF expansion matches that of the first phase, but it is
designed with more significant thermal constraints and a new window and curtainwall system,”
explains Russell Williams, project manager with J.R. Butler.
To meet the challenge, Wausau provided 2250i XLT Series INvent windows with recycled aluminum
framing, extra-wide polyamide thermal barriers supplied by Linetec, and triple insulating glass supplied
by Viracon. The combination of these high-performance components, experienced engineering and
quality fabrication allow the windows to achieve NFRC U-Factors as low as 0.19, equivalent to R5.3.
Condensation Resistance Factors range from 59 to 68.
Validating the windows’ performance, INvent Series’ products are tested to meet AAMA AW-100
Architectural Performance Class ratings, including new AAMA 910-10 lifecycle testing to 4000
operating cycles and stringent
requirements for air infiltration, water
resistance, thermal cycling and
structural integrity.
“Wausau’s AW Class hardware carries
the added weight of triple glazing with
ease,” adds Kevin Robbins, Wausau’s
regional sales manager. “INvent
windows offer the low required UFactors without compromising reliable
operation, aesthetics or durability.”
(more)
Matching the look of RSF’s first phase and enhancing the products’ durability, Linetec also finished all
of the recycled aluminum framing material for the RSF expansion in a silver-hued mica, polyvinylidene
fluoride coating. The durable finish presents an eye-catching, metallic shimmer that withstands the
exterior elements. The liquid coating is applied in Linetec’s factory using specialized equipment to
safely capture 100% of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released in the painting process, and to
use these captured VOCs as an energy-efficient, environmentally-sensitive process input.
Along with the window systems’ durable finishes, recycled content and high thermal performance,
many of the sustainable features used in the original structure have been further enhanced due to
technological advances. These include:
* Improved efficiency of rooftop photovoltaic panels
* Improved lighting control systems
* Increased flexibility in mechanical systems integration
“If we can inspire the industry to achieve higher energy performance with new builds or retrofits, then
we’ve met our challenge with this project,” said Haselden's president, Byron Haselden.
NREL has committed to
DOE’s goal of achieving
LEED Gold or Platinum
certification for all new
construction and to exceed
American Society of Heating
Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE) 90.1-2004’s
requirements. RSF is
anticipated to be 50% more
energy efficient than the
ASHRAE baseline building
performance. NREL also upholds the new Better Buildings Initiative to make commercial and industrial
buildings 20% more energy efficient by 2020 and accelerate private sector investment in energy
efficiency.
Construction of NREL’s new high-performance buildings and renewable energy systems take advantage
of alternative financing mechanisms, including power purchase agreements (PPA), energy savings
performance contracts (ESPC), partnerships with energy service companies (ESCO), and cooperative
research and development agreements (CRADA). NREL also continues to review the use of overhead
funds, cost savings reinvestment, and leveraging of alternative finance for retrofits or new projects.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Research Support Facility expansion,
South Table Mountain Campus, Colo.; http://www.nrel.gov

Owner: U.S. Department of Energy; Washington, D.C.; http://www.doe.gov

Architect: RNL; Denver; http://www.rnldesign.com/markets/government//nrel/#

General Contractor: Haselden Construction LLC; Centennial, Colo.; http://www.haselden.com

Glazing contractor: J.R. Butler, Inc.; Denver; http://www.jrbutlerinc.com

Glazing systems – manufacturer: Wausau Window and Wall Systems; Wausau, Wis.;
http://www.wausauwindow.com

Glazing systems – glass assemblies: Viracon, Inc.; Owatonna, Minn.; http://www.viracon.com/

Glazing systems – finisher: Linetec, Wausau, Wis.; http://www.linetec.com

Photos by: DOE/NREL, Dennis Schroeder, http://www.nrel.gov/news/rsfnews/photos.html
Nationally recognized for its innovative expertise, Wausau Window and Wall Systems is an industry leader in
engineering window and curtainwall systems for commercial and institutional construction applications. For
more than 50 years, Wausau has worked closely with architects, building owners and contractors to realize their
vision for aesthetic beauty, sustainability and lasting value, while striving to maintain the highest level of
customer service, communication and overall satisfaction. Wausau is a part of Apogee Enterprises, Inc., a
publicly held, U.S. corporation.
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